Where do elves get metal?

[Galadriel55]

I think the fact that Elves are portrayed as "constantly elegant" does not mean that they are squeamish or contemptuous of dirty work, but rather that the work for them is not dirty at all. They are just creative beings, and they turn everything into creation, into art. Arranging food on platters is an art, not a service. Mining is also an art, and a rather skill-demanding one. And good metalwork (and I therefore presume good metal extraction from the ground) is a skill that's honoured, so perhaps it's not as lowly as you make it sound.

I realize that I'm talking more about late Third Age ME Elves when I talk about art. The First Age Elves were darker, certainly had less smooth "class systems" and more tensions between them. However, I still think that their essence of creativity rather than destruction is present throughout.

And this brings me to the main point of how Elf mines could have been different from Dwarf (or orc) mines. Unlike those two, Elves don't seem to make industries for anything. They don't make more things for the sake of making more; they make just as much as they need for the foreseeable future. They use wood too, but they would never chop down forests; the Dwarves, while they have intentions of creation, can lose track of the destructive aspect - which is why they awoke Durin's Bane, and why Yavanna was concerned about their existence. When Dwarves make, they make it an industry. Elves don't; if they had mines, those mines would be smaller and as harmless as possible. Those Elves who lived underground probably had more extensive mines, but still not "industry scale" like the Dwarves, and certainly not "full on destructive" like the orcs. So I think they had some mines, but they were smaller and not used as often.

[Zigûr]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

I think the fact that Elves are portrayed as "constantly elegant" does not mean that they are squeamish or contemptuous of dirty work, but rather that the work for them is not dirty at all. They are just creative beings, and they turn everything into creation, into art. Arranging food on platters is an art, not a service. Mining is also an art, and a rather skill-demanding one. And good metalwork (and I therefore presume good metal extraction from the ground) is a skill that's honoured, so perhaps it's not as lowly as you make it sound.

I think this is a very good way of looking at it, and ties nicely to Professor Tolkien's literary influences from arts-and-crafts supporter William Morris. In Morris' utopian text News from Nowhere, the "problem of labour" has been eliminated because all labour is now art.

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Elves don't seem to make industries for anything. They don't make more things for the sake of making more; they make just as much as they need for the foreseeable future.

Yes, this seems like it. Letter 131 captures these points about the Elves well:

"Their 'magic' is Art, delivered from many of its human limitations: more effortless, more quick, more complete (product, and vision in unflawed correspondence). And its object is Art not Power, sub-creation not domination and tyrannous re-forming of Creation."

I think "industry" comes under that second type, "domination and tyrannous re-forming", in Professor Tolkien's view.

[Axbolt]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

When Dwarves make, they make it an industry. Elves don't; if they had mines, those mines would be smaller and as harmless as possible. Those Elves who lived underground probably had more extensive mines, but still not "industry scale" like the Dwarves, and certainly not "full on destructive" like the orcs. So I think they had some mines, but they were smaller and not used as often.

Excellent exsplanation Galadriel55, given what you have just said I would say that modern day humans are most like dawarves, ore even orcs, anything we make, we make an industry.
This would exsplain why Tolkien never mentioned elves mining in LOTR's or TH. Dawarves mined as an industry, and therefore it was an important part of there way of live. Although elves mines when they needed steel, not to sell steel, in much the same way that a hobbit would fix the roof if it leaked (sorry, couldn't think of a better metaphor) but it wouldn't become part of there way of life. And not being way of life, isn't important enough to the story to be worth mentioning.

[Leaf]

I think this question ties in with a general lack of mundane information about elvish societies. One might as well ask "where did the elves get their leather?". I mean can you picture smelly elvish tanners who are doing this disgusting kind of labour? Yet I'm fairly certain that elves used leather. I don't find this lack of information to be a problem. It's a consequence of the narrow perspective we have access to.

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

I realize that I'm talking more about late Third Age ME Elves when I talk about art. The First Age Elves were darker, certainly had less smooth "class systems" and more tensions between them. However, I still think that their essence of creativity rather than destruction is present throughout.

I wonder if this difference in perception has something to do with the hobbitish perspective of the Hobbit/Lord of the rings novels. The Hobbits (especially Sam) seem to idealise and glorify the elves to a certain degree, which might have influenced them (as authors of the red book) in their reports and retelling of the "actual events".

[Axbolt]

Originally Posted by Leaf

I wonder if this difference in perception has something to do with the hobbitish perspective of the Hobbit/Lord of the rings novels. The Hobbits (especially Sam) seem to idealise and glorify the elves to a certain degree

Yes, I guess that is possible and that our image of elves from the books and movies could be compleatly wrong. We did only realy meet nobals and warriors in the storys, and therefore have no real idia about actual elvish civilization and normal life. What we do know will be influanced by 'hobbitish' views.